Monday, February 28, 2011

Two Stripes - I'm OUT!


I WILL NOT allow myself to suffer from 'second sock syndrome'.  This condition is all too common among knitters, and it's not so easy to cure.  In fact, I don't think it's treatable. 

The most common cause of SSS is the acquisition of new fingering weight yarn in luscious colors and textures.  Put the new batch in a drawer, up on a shelf, or hide it in the trunk of your car.  Don't let SSS keep you from completing an actual PAIR of socks for yourself or your loved one. 

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Progress


Amanda's sweater is coming along, ever so slowly.  The color is 'woodsy' and warm, with so many varied shades of chocolate, and the yarn itself, is a joy to knit.  Dream in Color Classy is a great choice for this DK project.



The only down-side, if there is one, are these huge needles.  I'm not used to size 10's, and having somewhat small hands makes me feel all clunky and clumsy.  It doesn't help, that I switch from these needles to lightweight yarn and small size 3's, while tackling In Dreams. 

It's still cold (by my standards) in Southern California, so there might be a chance this sweater will be complete before the cold has melted into summertime.

Monday, February 21, 2011

In Dreams - Clue 1


It's a beginning.  After a rocky start, and several ripping out sessions which were combined with unlady-like vocabulary...I finally got into the swing of things.



Excuse these poor photos.  The entire weekend was cloudy and this morning, it's much the same.  Hopefully, future snapshots will show off the sparkle of the beads.  Yes, they really do sparkle, and I'm very happy with my selection of both beads and yarn.

I am eager to finish Clue 1, and that will be a great accomplishment for me.  Wow, I didn't realize how tedious it is to add beads, and you can bet, I'll be more appreciative of hand knit shawls that have beads, in the future.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

A Slice of Spring


I'm so pleased with the pattern on this half circle shawl.  It can be found on Knit Picks website.  At the reasonable $1.99 price for a download, it surely was worth it.



Even my 'live in' model loved the design.  The shawl is knit from the top down, beginning in the center and it alternates with rows of stockinette, flanked by several rows of lace.  The edge of the shawl has a very slight ripple effect, which I love.



It's quite generous, as you can see, and although the lace portion was somewhat fiddly, the rests during the stockinette portion was appreciated, especially in the evening.  I used the recommended size 7 circular needles and the yarn is Malabrigo fingering weight, in the color ochre.  Can you believe this is only 1 hank?




This shawl pattern was very nicely written, easy to understand, and I'm eager to search for more patterns from Knit Picks. 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day


On Saturday, our little grandchildren came over, and we had a day filled with hearts and kisses and most of all, love.



The pens, paper and stickers were flying.  My husband chose to spend the day on the computer, playing solitaire, while mumbling something negative about all this "dumb ol' heart and lovee stuff".





Aren't these sweet?  Each card was cuter than the one before.  We had a creativity explosion!





Even grouchy grandpa came out from his cave to admire their work.  Perhaps love and kisses were OK after all. 

I hope you are able to share your love with someone special.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Blocking


The color of this shawl against my alphabet blocks looks putrid, but never fear, the color is really lovely, and I'll display this shawl when it's dry, sharing the details of the pattern, as well.



Notice anything?  After soaking this project, I began to lay it out, and noticed a stockinette row unraveling...yes, UNRAVELING!

I believe I'd dropped a stitch along the way, since I recall my count was 'off.  I used a crochet hook to repair the mistake, and I'll (hopefully) hide the ends when it's finished blocking. 

This weekend, I hope to begin my In Dreams challenge.  I don't know how far I'll get, but I've got my fingers crossed concerning the pattern.  I've read it and re-read it, and I still find it complicated, sigh.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

In Dreams KAL


Malibringo Lace, in the color Indigo, and sparkling capri blue beads. 

On opening the bead container, I spilled about 100 beads all over my table and carpet.  This isn't a good sign.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Stripes!


Once upon a time, Jan was rummaging through her drawers, umm...perhaps chest of drawers, is more appropriate... and found two skeins of very old wool.  This wool is of the stripe type.  Since Jan isn't very fond of stripes, she kept shoving it farther and farther back in the recesses of oblivion, hoping it might disappear, never to be seen again.  It reared it's little neglected head once again, and rescue was inevitable.


The yarn is Regia, and although stripes aren't my cup of tea, I'm beginning to develop a taste for these little socks.  The yarn is lovely to knit, soft and sturdy, which is good for the wear and tear most socks must take.  When they're complete, I'll share the details of the pattern, which I purposely kept simple, taking advantage of the striping ability of this yarn.  I'm crossing my fingers, hoping the toes of these little beauties are prettier than my last sock adventure.

I downloaded the pattern for In Dreams, sigh....I had to order a smaller crochet hook, since the one I had wasn't teeny enough for the bead hole.  Crap.  This will delay the start of In Dreams.  I have 4 projects on the needles now, so perhaps this delay is fortuitous. 

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Good enough to eat!


This delicious cardigan is well on its way to becoming wearable, really! 

The chocolaty goodness and sweet confection comparison is purely accidental. 

The yarn is Dream In Color Classy, in the color November Muse.  Now, come on...who in the heck names these yummy wool incarnations?  It's CHOCOLATE, I tell you, CHOCOLATE!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Little Shorties, final!


These are the little sockies I began a while ago.  They were pretty speedy, but grabbing my daughter for a 'photo op' isn't the easiest thing to do.

The yarn is one of my favorite sock yarns in the business, Dream In Color Smooshy.  It's a delight to knit.  The best reason for using Smooshy is IMHO, the color distribution.  There is no pooling of any kind.  I've knit various patterns with this luscious wool, and the color is constant and lively, no matter which one you might choose.  This color is COOL FIRE.

I used size 1 US dpn needles, and knit a fairly standard sock, but with a short leg and an even shorter cuff.  I had less than 75 grams of wool, so I was doing my best to use it sparingly. 



One disappointment was the toe.  I'm not sure what I did wrong, probably distracted by something on television, but it didn't work out exactly as it should have.  I'll be trying something different for my next pair.

They are cute little socks, and Alexis has assured me, they'll go great with her little white tennies.

Pink Lemon Twist inspired me to join the In Dreams Mystery KAL.  This will prove to be a challenge for me, as I've never knitted using beads before.  The pattern preview has asked for 5000 beads.  Yikes!  I did see the swatch, and it's quite lovely.  The first clue will be arriving on Friday, but I might not have my supplies by then, so we'll see.  Anyone interested can visit the website http://afewstitchesshort.blogspot.com/p/lord-of-rings-collection.html.  When I receive my yarn and beads, I'll give you a peek.

Several things on the needles are in various stages of completion, so I'll keep you posted.